


Meta

by Kwehlous



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fans & Fandom, Gaming, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Online Relationship, Slice of Life, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 12:26:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12864504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kwehlous/pseuds/Kwehlous
Summary: Prompto wouldn't have them if it weren't for this game.My contribution and meta origin story to the 1st year anniversary of Final Fantasy XV.





	Meta

"So, guys. It's been one whole year," Prompto smiled as he stretched his arms up, the last multiplayer campaign longer than they had expected it to be.

"Has it?" The dingy voice on the other end of his headphones is still dingy, but the other's head set from a few months ago were destroyed, and, apparently, he'd been too lazy to get a new pair. If he'd stop sleeping with them in, then they wouldn't keep getting fucked up. Prompto grinned at the thought.

"Hard to believe that we've survived that long. A miracle, really," came another voice, much more clear, and with a drawling accent. He sounded tired, as always, but he worked too long and too hard and nothing could be done of his addiction to labor. Prompto always wanted to put his head in his lap and make his sleep whenever he heard that fatigue in his voice.

"You say that like you expected it to fail, Iggy," came the rolling growl from another voice, robotic since his internet connection was funky whenever he was playing and his sister was playing at the same time.

"Distance can kill many things."

"Can't kill what was never there. Who says we're friends," came mister dingy-voice. "I never signed a form."

"Tch, smartass."

"The fact that you can call Noctis a smartass with no context is a testament to this."

"This..." Prompto whispered and smiled to himself.

"And what's _this_ again?"

"Give it a rest, Noct. You love us."

"I _guess_."

"If anything," Prompto began, and the bickering stopped. The growly-guy sneezed. Still sick. Prompto smiled harder that he even knew that. That he cared enough to remember. "If anything... I'm the one surprised."

"Why?" Noct grumbled.

"Indeed. Why, were it not for you, we probably wouldn't even have become as close as we are now."

"Yeah, you got a foot in this, too, Prom."

The blonde pressed the heel of his palm into one eye. "Y-yeah but... I'm all the fuck over here in Nilfheim and yet... like-- but you guys make time for me. I'm literally on the other side of this world, but you make time and, well, you dont have to."

"I got nothing better to do," Noct chuckled, and Prompto sniffled angrily.

"I'm trying to be real here for a minute, damnit!"

The growly voice and 'Iggy' chuckled as well, but it was less teasing.

"Gladio, Ignis, c'mon."

"Sorry, Prom. Just--- it's cute."

"You have a habit of believing yourself the burden, when we, and especially Noctis, would not be doing anything that we did not desire to."

"Yeah, but--"

"That's in the past," Gladio interrupted. "A misunderstanding, yeah? And to keep bringing it up only makes this weird so... don't worry about it."

A misunderstanding. Prompto almost fucked up the most important relationship he had in his isolated existence. But he couldn't stop thinking about it. It was always in the back of his mind, always had that as a reference to do better next time. That even though these guys were his friends, they had lives. They had careers. Two of them were dating each other. Even if he was lonely, even if all he wanted was to see them, to touch them, hug them, know that they were truly tangible, he shouldn't go out of his way to be with them and burden them with a responsibility to look out for him. That was wrong.

He had to find his own way. They inspired that im how independent they each seemed to be. So for three months, he stopped talking to them and stopped getting online to play with them. Get his head straight.

Ignis kept his touch, but Noctis took it as them no longer being friends, and Gladio and him were never that close, so he didn't message him. It took an update to the game they played that brought them together in the first place for their friendship to rekindle from his abrupt disconnect from them for his own mental health.

Prompto wasn't sure if his mind got better in those three months, but the fact that they took him back without so much as a missed beat meant they cared, and that was enough for him.

And here they were again, the game's newest update conquered between the four of their efforts. And Prompto getting emotional over it all.

"C'mon your sniffling is causing a warble in your mic, quit it." Noctis grumbled, and Prompto laughed, the sound travelling across fiberoptic and waves to reach the ears of three guys who were the reason he hadn't quit more than just gaming a year ago.

"R-right. So, the Multiplayer campaign is finished and it's been a year since we all hooked up," Prompto sighed, then grinned. "We should do something!"

"Like?" Gladio said, but all that came out was 'ike'.

"Like maybe get you a better modem," Ignis hummed.

"Like, aaah... well I don't know how they celebrate the cold season in Insomnia, but in Nilfheim they do a small letter exchange. Sometimes you do gifts, but gifts make people anxious to give you somethin' back, so it's frowned upon."

"So, what, you want a love letter, babe?" Noctis teased, and Prompto choked.

"Where's your off button?" Gladio sighed.

"You'll never know."

"A letter exchange sounds pleasant and thoughtful enough. Perhaps a tiny gift as well? In Insomnia, we do exchange gifts, but the burden of return is not as strong."

"Yeah, I give shit to Noct every year and I don't really expect much back."

"I know. So rude. It's why you don't get anything back."

"Oh, I get somethin'."

Ignis sighed.

Prompto beamed to himself. "Well, I think that'd be neat, ya know? But only if you want to."

"That sounds just fine. But only if you promise not to spend too much money," Ignis chimed, ever the reasonable voice between the four of them.

Prompto frowned. He worked as a liaison between a private entity and the government, so he was not wanting for money. But... well, his desire to expend money on his friends was a sour topic to him and them. He wanted to argue, but he didn't.

The pause was noticeable and he spoke up to break it. "Y-yeah that's fine I promise. Really."

"How can he spend extra money on a letter?" Noctis huffed. "What, like, buy the most expensive gold-leaf touched paper and use a fountain pen to write it?"

When Prompto didn't respond, Noctis giggled. "You dork!"

"Prom, it's alright. You said a letter, then just send us a letter. And we'll send you a letter back. Simple as that," Gladio responded, and each word actually came in clear.

"Alright. Yeah, okay. I promise, nothing fancy. Just a letter."

"Good," Ignis continued, "I believe that'll be an excellent, small, simple celebration to commemorate our little group."

It didn't seem like enough. Even though he'd suggested it, Prompto just didn't feel like a little letter was enough. But that was only because they just didn't know how much they meant to him. How precious they were. How much they saved his life with just their voices and kind words on a computer or game screen.

They were worth anything he could give them. But... he would respect their wishes and reign it in. And maybe, that's what he truly needed to do overall. Reign it in and give himself the same worth he gave them. Because they saw something in him worthy of their time and their energy. Some of that bountiful worth he placed in them needed to be paid back to himself.

Prompto smiled and inhaled. "Alrighty, well I'm beat and it's almost 4am. I gotta get some snores in."

"Sooner than your usual, but it is rather late over there," Ignis hummed.

"You can't stay up just a little longer?" Noctis whispered, and Prompto could hear his frown.

"I could, but I really shouldn't. Izunia's got some stuff he wants me to look over before Monday, and I wanna get a jump on it so I can have Sunday to myself. Gotta stay in good with da boss," he grinned.

"Alright. We'll chat later, Prom. Sleep tight."

"Good night, Prompto."

"I'll text you later Prom."

One by one, a little notification at the top left of his screen blinked, showing that they'd left the party chat. Prompto yawned again, and turned off his system.

Shuffling to his bedroom, he made a beeline to his bed, flopping down in the fluffy covers with a happy smile, only to go cold when he feels something stiff underneath his covers. He pulled everything back, even the mattress cover., to find the intrusive item that, in the back of his mind, he knew the identity of. Something long and shiny flew from under the pulled-back mattress cover, and plopped silently on the floor. Prompto went numb as he slid off the bed and scoped up the X-acto knife in hand, the blade still touched with blood.

He hadn't used it in a long long time. In fact, he swore he'd lost it. He probably hid it away from himself.

Looking at it now, he understands why he did it, but it glad that he no longer feels the impulse. He has coping mechanisms. He has someone who'll listen instead of going into a feedback loop on himself. He has support. He's gotten better.

Slowly, Prompto takes the X-acto knife from the handle and drops both into the trash. He takes a deep breath, and exhales and it feels better than any pain.

"Time for bed."

He does another flop on the bed, squirming and worming under his head meets a pillow. He's out before he hears a notification on his phone from Noctis, but he smiles in his sleep, as if he knows.

**Author's Note:**

> Whenever I end the game, and Noctis thanks me, I always sob back 'you're welcome', but yet I should be thanking him, them, _you_.
> 
> Thank all of you for giving me my writing desire back. My cosplay desire. For giving me a brotherhood, a sisterhood, like Ive never experienced. For showing me what true friendship looks like, feels like, functions like. Hell, for showing me what functional intimate relationships truly look like.
> 
> I've fucked up a lot this year, but nothing gets better without making mistakes, and from this fandom, I feel like I actually know how to make friends again. Or, rather, I know the process and I can practice doing right by others. I can unlearn toxic patterns of attachment and replace it with wholesome, balanced expressions of gratitude and support and be able to combat the lifelong mental instabilities.
> 
> So, as Noctis would say, "Thank You".


End file.
